English–Chinese
“happen to meet” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinpíng shuǐ xiāng féng
Example
在街上我和她萍水相逢，打了招呼。zài jiē shàng wǒ hé tā píng shuǐ xiāng féng dǎ le zhāo hū
I happened to meet her on the street and said hello.
How to say “happen to meet” in Chinese
“Happen to meet” in Chinese is 萍水相逢 (píng shuǐ xiāng féng).
Two people are brought together for a moment by circumstance, then continue separately without forming a close bond.
Example sentences with 萍水相逢
在展览会上，我与画家萍水相逢，互换了名片。zài zhán lǎn huì shàng wǒ yǔ huà jiā píng shuǐ xiāng féng hù huàn le míng piàn
At the exhibition, I happened to meet a painter and exchanged business cards.
Tips for using 萍水相逢
- A planned reunion or a friendship with regular contact is not a good setting for this chengyu; its value lies in the lack of an established connection.